Sideline Manuvering
by BookWorm37
Summary: Sequel to 'How Does Bobby Afford All That Armani' Lynne's a woman on a mission to get our two clueless detectives where they belong. With eachother. BA
1. Dinner and Conversation

A/N: Don't forget to read _How Does Bobby Afford All That Armani?_ before reading this. For all non-BA shippers, the story stopped there.

Summary: Mary Lynne sets her plan for Bobby and Alex into motion by talking to Alex.

* * *

"Me revoici  
Dans ce bar enfume  
Avec mes yeux iures  
Je me parle a moi meme  
C'etait toi  
C'etait toi" 

Lynne sang the Billy Joel song 'C'etait toi' with gusto as she put the casserole she was making for dinner into the oven. Of course, she could only ever remember the chorus, so it was really just that over and over again … but as she was the only person (aside from Sarge, of course) in her penthouse at the moment, she didn't really care.

Sarge's barking at the front door jolted Lynne from her singing and she made her way to the door to see who was there. It was obviously someone Sarge didn't like that much, otherwise she'd be jumping up and down with joy.

"Who is it?" Lynne asked through the heavy wooden door. She had told Don to just send up the visitors she was expecting so that she wouldn't be bothered while she prepared for dinner and conversation with one Alexandra Eames and Carolyn.

"It's Eric," the familiar voice of her boyfriend, Eric Reasons, filtered through the door. Well, that made sense: for some reason, ever since Lynne and Eric had started dating, Sarge had taken an extreme disliking to the man – going so far as to growl whenever she had to see his face (even in a photograph).

Lynne sighed and opened the barrier, leaning up to kiss Eric lightly on the cheek before asking, "What are you doing here?"

Eric frowned slightly at her demeanor before saying, "I thought you'd like to have dinner with me tonight."

She winced slightly, "I'm sorry, Eric, I already have plans for tonight. Some friends of mine are coming over for dinner."

Her boyfriend frowned as he pulled away, "These wouldn't happen to be detective friends, would they?"

"What's wrong with that? Most of my friends _are_ detectives."

He sighed, exasperatedly as he walked further into the penthouse, "Yes, Lynne, and most of your friends are _male_."

"You have a problem with who I spend my time with now? You had no problem with Bobby, Mitch, Jimmy and the others before." Her hands had migrated to her hips as she frowned in confusion at the stock broker.

His frown deepened as he crossed his arms over his chest, "That was before I found out you had dated _Bobby_ for three years." The way he spat her ex-boyfriend's name made Lynne's blood boil.

"We only dated for _two_ years, Eric, and as it so happens the detectives coming over here tonight are _female_." At his shocked, then contrite look, Lynne pointed to her door, "Now please leave so I can get ready for my evening of chick flicks and wine."

Eric glared at her again before stalking out of the penthouse and making his way to the lobby, where he found two women he didn't know making their way over to the doorman, Don. Not knowing who they were, he thought there was no harm in checking them out. Both women were in fine physical shape, one a few inches shorter than the other, but somehow her legs seemed to go on forever in the heels she was wearing.

His very manly mind soon was picturing the petite woman gasping under him in the throws of passion, the shoes she now wore the only items on her body. When the two women stepped into the penthouse elevator, Eric shook his head in a deflated manner – of _course_ they were the detectives Lynne had invited over. Just his luck that the shorter one he had been ogling was able to catch his roaming eye with a glare that pierced through his soul. Looked like he'd have to get his kicks from a pro tonight.

* * *

This time, when Sarge barked at the knocking from the door, she was wagging her tail and almost jumping up and down (something she only did for Bobby and Paul), causing Lynne to grin and move to open the door and let Sarge pounce on Carolyn like the dog really wanted to since she had caught onto the detective's sent. 

Laughter rang throughout the penthouse as Sarge licked Carolyn's face with fervor. "Sarge, down," Lynne finally ordered with a grin, leading the two detectives into her home. "Sorry, Carolyn, you know how she gets."

Carolyn shrugged, "No problem, Lynne. At least she's gentle about it. I can still remember what she did to Bobby when we came over for your housewarming a few months ago."

The tailor/designer laughed at that as she explained to Alex, "Sarge heard Bobby's voice at the door when she was on the other side of the house, ran like a rabid dog all the way through and jumped him so hard he tripped on the coat rack and fell over the threshold – taking out Jimmy Deakins and Fin Tutuola on his way down."

Despite herself Alex couldn't help but smile at the image the description painted into her mind. "So you're _that_ Lynne," she said – it wasn't a question or an accusation, just a statement of fact.

Lynne nodded, leading them into the dining room, where a very nice looking meal was set out, "That's right, Detective, I'm _that_ Lynne. What exactly has your brother told you about me?"

Alex rolled her eyes at the mention of Dan, "Just that half the NYPD is in love with you and your remarkable suits – including him."

Lynne blushed a deep red that matched her hair nearly perfectly as she sat down, "Enough talk of all of them," she said, "I made casserole and we should eat before it gets cold. Cold casserole is _not_ good casserole."

"Yes, Mom," Carolyn said jokingly as she took a bite of the casserole and her eyes widened in pleasure.

"So you cook, design clothes and handle cops on a daily basis," Alex said as she started eating, mildly surprised by the delicious bouquet of flavors that assaulted her mouth, "Is there anything you can't do?"

"Act," Lynne replied. "All of my brothers can – even my sister was able to act." She shook her head as pain flashed across her face briefly, "But I never could."

Carolyn pointed her fork at Lynne as she told Alex, "She can sing, though. Voice of an angel the guys say."

Lynne rolled her eyes, "They're still laughing over my performance of _Right Said Fred_ two years ago."

Carolyn grinned, "And what a performance it was. I seem to remember you playing up the audience on that particular night."

Lynne blushed as she sipped at her diet soda, "They deserved it for what they did for me that night. Putting on a runway show with four hours notice? I'd have gone out in public wearing one of those ugly tourist shirts on the plane back to Paris if they'd asked me to. Good thing they didn't push it that far."

"When was that?" Alex wondered aloud.

Lynne furrowed her brow, "Right after you and Bobby took down an anti-abortion murderer, I believe. About a year ago."

Alex nodded, "I remember that night. I didn't know it was you, of course, but I _do_ remember Danny going on and on about this amazing woman who made Armani suits for the NYPD."

Lynne nodded, a small smile playing across her face, "He's one of the more … interesting cops I've met. I've heard only good things about him from the rest of the Narcs, though."

The rest of the meal was eaten in relative silence as the three women discussed the men in their lives and other interesting tidbits they had in common. When the dishes were in the sink, Lynne led her guests into the living room, sitting on her sofa, soon to be followed by Sarge, who took up residence on the rest of the piece of furniture, resting her head on Lynne's lap.

"Alex, do you know why I wanted to talk to you tonight?" Lynne finally asked after the other two women were comfortable.

"I assume it has something to do with Bobby," the other detective replied.

She nodded, her eyes flickering to the dirty-blonde haired woman before returning to her dog; "I wasn't completely truthful when I led you to believe that I was sleeping with him. We haven't been in a relationship of that nature for a long time now … Do you remember back in 1998 there was a big uproar in the NYPD about a kidnapping?" Alex nodded once before Lynne continued, "I was the victim."

Alex raised her eyebrows, remembering how so many of the men in Homicide and Narcotics were on edge during those four days. Before she could respond, however, Lynne continued: "I'd been dating Bobby for about a year when it happened. Out of the blue his brother showed up, asking for money to pay off some lone shark."

"He really has a brother?" Alex asked. Up until that point, she hadn't been sure if the brother Goren spoke of to suspects sometimes was fictional or not.

Lynne nodded with a smirk that was full of anger, "Frank William Goren. Goes by Billy commonly, but sometimes he screws with the people around him by going by Frank and Billy. Satan's _other_ child."

"What happened?" the detective asked.

As Lynne got ready to answer, Carolyn's beeper went off. "Sorry," she said as she checked the message, "I just got a case. By, Lynne. Eames."

"Bye, Carolyn."

For a few minutes after Carolyn's departure, Lynne was silent. Finally she continued her story, "About two weeks after Bobby refused to pay his brother's debt, I was kidnapped on my way to work. You know the basics of what happened during those four days," Lynne shuddered involuntarily. In a few ways she was still trying to get over what thsoe monsters had done to her. "Bobby and I continued seeing each other for about a year after that - until I moved to Paris."

"And your dog?"

Lynne smiled at that as Sarge lifted her head up and looked at the two women before trotting over and silently telling Lynne it was time to start petting her. "My brother, Mikey, died a few months after I was kidnapped. Sarge was given to me by some of the Narcs who thought she'd help." Her smile turned onto her ex-boyfriend's partner, "She has."

"Can you tell me about Bobby?" Alex asked, suddenly curious about her partner's life outside the job.

Lynne grinned, "What do you want to know?"

"What's he like off the job?"

"Oh," the grin widened, "Well ... he's a pretty decent chef, he can recite the first chapter of _The Grapes of Wrath_ from memory, and he loves working on old cars with his buddy, Lewis."

"Do you know one of his other friends, with a bunch of tattoos?" Alex asked, remembering the strange man she had seen at the edge of the squad room during one of their first cases together.

Lynne nodded, "Yep. That's Sammie. He's a tattoo artist - has his own shop right outside the city."

"He looked like a ..."

"He also happens to love his motorcycle," Lynne said with a small smile, "But he's really just a big teddy bear. I think you'd like him."

The two talked about everything imaginable for a few hours before Alex decided it was time to go and Lynne said what she had wanted to say since the evening began, "I will tell you this piece of advice, Alex: Don't let him get away from you. It's worth any potential risk to your partnership."

"What is?" Alex asked, wondering if she had really been that transparent.

"Going home to the man of your dreams each and every night," Lynne replied. "When Bobby ... He'll make you forget that there was ever a world outside his arms - and when he's yours, he's yours completely."

* * *

"Eames? You okay?" Bobby asked his partner the next morning. 

"Hmm? Yeah, I'm fine," Alex replied. She wouldn't tell him the truth - especially about what Lynne had told her the night before. She couldn't. Fear was a fine motivator when it came to keeping your mouth shut.

Bobby gave her a strange look before he said, "Okay. We got a call out - missing woman with strange writing on her wall."

"Don't tell me we've got a religious nut on our hands again."

And just like that, the unprofessional thoughts were pushed to the back of Alex Eames' mind and she got back to work trying to solve the mystery of Leslie Dornan.

* * *

A/N: Please review. I really hope you guys are still paying attention to this - it's about to get good! The BA fluff will come out to play very very soon. 


	2. A Matter of Trust

A/N: Thank you for the truthful reviews of the previous chapter. I hope this clears up some questions I raised. Oh, and for the record: I wrote Eric to be an asshole on purpose. He's the epitomy of all my best friend's boyfriends. That should tell you how I feel about all of _them._

Summary: Eric uses Lynne's penthouse in ... questionable indevers, but unfortunately for him, someone finds out about it and is_ not_ happy. Will Lynne finally get fed up with the sleeze ball enough to leave him? Can she find comfort in arms that have always been close at hand to help her out? End of Season Two. You may be a little surprised with her pairing.

* * *

"I'll be back in a minute, Alex," Lynne said as she unbuckled her seatbelt and made her way out of the SUV and into her apartment building to change her shoes and grab the present she had purchased for Alex's brother's birthday. 

"Take your time, we're not in any hurry," Alex replied, putting the car in park as she settled in to wait.

Lynne flashed the detective a smile, "I'm sure Dan would say otherwise."

In the three months following that first dinner between the two, Alex and Lynne had become good friends - a rarity in any environment. It was often over pints of Ben & Jerry's ice cream, or glasses of imported French wine that Alex would unwind after a long week at work ... that is, after she would have a celebratory dinner for closing a case with Bobby. Lynne never tried to step on the toes of the two partners, and often times it seemed like she was the only one besides Deakins that actually realized what they were beginning to mean to each other.

"Hi, Don," Lynne greeted her doorman with a smile.

"Miss Andrews," Don said. "Mr. Reasons is up in your penthouse, ma'am," the doorman continued, positive that he should tell the kind young woman the news before she went up and found out the hard way, "He had a woman with him - said she was his sister."

Lynne frowned, "He told me he didn't have any sisters. Thank you for telling me, Don."

When Lynne arrived in the entryway of her penthouse, she expected her dog to be there to greet her, but when Sarge was no where in sight, the designer started getting livid.

"ERIC!!!" she screamed at the top of her lungs as she made her way through the penthouse, intent on finding him and his 'sister'. When she stepped into her bedroom she found them together in a rather ... unbrotherly embrace on her bed.

"What's this, Eric? Don told me you brought your _sister_ up here," Lynne said, gathering up his clothes and the clothes of the unknown blonde currently occupying _her _bed. "That doesn't look like anything I'd do with any of _my_ brothers."

"Lynne, Lynne wait!" Eric said as he watched her walk to her bedroom window and open it, intent on throwing their clothes onto the streets below.

The livid woman gathered Eric's clothing into one hand, holding the woman's in the other and held it out the window, "_What did you do with my dog_, Eric?"

"Sarge?" Eric asked, suddenly confused as his bed partner tried to cover herself up with the sheet, "I locked her in the bathroom."

Lynne's hand opened, releasing the expensive designer lables onto the streets below, "You better get that before you get fined for littering, Eric." As he was running through the living room she shouted after him, "And if I _ever_ see your fucking face here again I'll have you arrested for tresspassing!"

The other woman was trying not to look at Lynne as the door slammed shut behind the stockbroker. Lynne then turned her attention on Eric's side-show. "What's your name?"

"Charity," the woman said, finally looking up to reveal a face with too much make-up.

"You're a working girl," Lynne said, positive in her ID of the woman who called herself Charity.

"Yeah," Charity whispered. "Can I have my clothes back?"

"What'd he tell you?" Lynne asked as she gave the woman back her dress and underwear.

"He gave me four hundred bucks and said I'd get a pair of Prada heels out of it at the end. He said I had to pretend to be his sister until we got up here - and I had to be careful not to move anything." Her eyes met Lynne's as she tied the last tie on the dress, "I've got a little girl - we've gotta eat somehow."

Lynne nodded, mulling over the information in her mind before she asked, "How old?"

"She's five," Charity said with the genuine smile of a mother. "Looks just like her grandma."

"How long have you been doing this?"

The prostitute raised her eyebrows, "You sure ask a lot of questions for a woman who just found out her boyfriend was cheating on her."

Lynne smiled slightly, "He was an ass anyway. How long?"

"Seven years. I've gotta pay the bills somehow."

"Don't you have anything else you could do besides selling your body?"

Charity shrugged, "No time to learn a new trade that pays as much."

"What about the danger?" Lynne asked, "You wanna leave your little girl without a mother?"

She shook her head, "No. I used to want to write ... but writing doesn't pay the bills and I dropped out after one semester in college."

Lynne nodded again - she seemed to be doing a lot of that recently. She went to her closet and picked out a pair of Prada shoes she'd never had the guts to wear. "Here's your Prada. You better go."

"Thank you," the other woman said, confusion in her eyes as she left the apartment building.

"Yeah," Lynne sighed after she left before going to release her dog from her overly ceramic prison. "Hey, girl," she said as Sarge bounded out of the room and licked her face. "Sorry about, Eric. He won't be coming around here anymore." The dog barked happily at the news, as if she had understood.

* * *

"Did I just see Eric run out of the building wearing nothing but a pillow?" Alex asked when Lynne came back down to the car fifteen minutes after going up. 

"Yes," Lynne replied, setting Dan's present in the back seat of the car. "I caught him in bed with a pro."

"Ouch."

"It's fine, Alex," Lynne said, more to convince herself than the other woman, "Lennie and Fin have been trying to get me to dump him ever since we started dating."

"But, in your bed?" Alex asked, wanting to make sure she heard right as she pulled into traffic.

"Well ... at least someone got lucky on it. Now I have to sleep on the couch while I find a new bed."

"I've heard stories about that couch, Lynne, you'd have a backache for a month!"

"Where else would I go? Paul already has a full house and I won't impose myself on anyone like that."

"What'd you do with the hooker?" Alex asked, switching the conversation back to the previous topic.

"I gave her a pair of shoes and wished her luck in finding a different job."

Alex was shocked into silence for the rest of the car ride.

* * *

"Hi, Dan," Lynne greeted with a forced smile as she got out of the car. 

"Lynne, Lexie," Dan greeted in return, oblivious to the strained look in Lynne's eyes.

"Hey, Dan. Happy birthday, little brother," Alex teased.

Dan scoffed at her, "I'm six inches taller than you, Lexie - little my ass."

"Don't be rude to your sister, Danny," his mother said from the doorway. "And let them all come inside!"

* * *

Lynne heaved a sigh of relief as she sat down on her sofa, closing her eyes as she tried to relax. Her eyes opened suddenly as she felt something poking her in the back. When she moved to investigate she found one of the hooker's earrings. With a growl she threw it across the room and watched as its shattering caused Sarge to look up from where she lay with a questioning look in her eyes. 

The designer sighed, "I'm sorry, Sarge. I never should have gone out with someone like him in the first place."

Sarge got up and trotted over to her human, resting her head in Lynne's lap as the designer started to scratch her ears. "What are we gonna do, pup? I can't stay here knowing what he did. I can't go over to Paul's place - they have barely enough room for them."

Her phone rang, "Hello?"

"Lynne? It's Lewis. Listen, the guys and I were wondering if you wanted to go out to S&S tonight. It's so much more fun when you're with us to keep us in line." Lynne could here the note of humor in his voice and smiled.

"Who qualifies as 'the guys'?"

"Max, Johnny and me. You in?"

"Sure, Lewis. I'll meet you there at seven."

"Sounds good. Bye."

"Bye."

Lynne gave Sarge a look as she asked, "I hope you'll be okay by yourself tonight? Or do you want to go keep Bobby company?"

Sarge barked, indicating that she could stay by herself like the big girl that she was.

* * *

"Hi, guys," Lynne greeted with a genuine smile. 

"Lynne!" Johnny said happily, giving the petite designer a massive hug (literally raising her a foot off the ground in the process).

She patted his back in return, "Johnny. Can you let me down, now?" The big man did as she requested with a slight blush. "Hi, Max, Lewis. What's the score?"

"Max is kicking Johnny's ass," Lewis said, in reference to the pool game they were playing. "Oh, we ordered you a Stella."

"Sounds great," she grinned, happy to note that Lewis had remembered her fondness of the imported Belgiun beer.

"Hey, Lynne, did you hear what happened to Max on the subway yesterday?" Johnny asked, taking his shot and missing the pool ball he was aiming at.

"No, do tell," Lynne asked the rabbi as Max lined up for his next shot.

"It's nothing, really," Max tried to get out of telling the story. He didn't want to embarrass his friend's ex-girlfriend ... or his friend as he had come to think of the fiesty designer. After much badgering, however, he finally came out and said it, "It's just ... I thought I saw a couple going at it that looked an aweful like your boyfriend, Eric, and Elene from that salon by where Lewis lives."

Lynne cocked her head at him. "Ex-boyfriend. And it probably was," she said before downing the rest of her beer. "Who's up for another round? It's on me."

"Wait. What do you mean 'ex-boyfriend'?" Lewis asked, a frown marring his features.

She glared at him, "What does it sound like? I broke up with him because he's a pompus pig who thinks he's God's gift to women. Now what kind of beer do you want?"

"None, I'm the designated driver."

"Wuss."

The conversation switched to much safer subjects as the night wore on. By the end of the evening Lynne was in a much happier mood thanks to the charm of three manly men who just wanted to play pool and understand why their love lives were so terrible.

Lynne was the last person left in the car for Lewis to drop off. Her head rested comfortably against the passenger door as he came back from making sure Max was okay. "I don't want to back into Manhattan tonight," she said sleepily. "Is your couch comfortable?"

Lewis glanced at her, unsure if it was a good idea for his libido to have a woman he was so ... about in his apartment overnight. He cleared his throat uncomfortably, "You want me to drop you off at Bobby's?"

She turned her head so that she could watch him drive. "Bobby and I broke up on mutual terms over two years ago. It's not getting sloppy seconds to let me sleep on your couch, Lewis. I'm not his girl anymore."

Even with the beers and rum in her system, Lynne could tell that he was still uncomfortable with the idea. She sighed, "Do you trust me?"

"Of course," he responded immediately, unsure why she would question that.

"That's what it's all about, Lewis. Trust. I trust you enough to know that nothing's going to happen tonight if I sleep over on your couch. You should learn how to trust yourself."

Without another word Lewis switched directions from driving back to Manhattan so he was now driving toward his Brooklyn garage and apartment complex. Trust. Yeah, he could trust himself.

* * *

A/N: I meant no disrespect to all the designated drivers out there. I aplaud you all. Stella Artios (not sure about the last part) is my brother's favorite beer, so I felt it deserved a mention.

Thank you all so much for sticking with me in this. I know this didn't give any BA action, but Lewis and Lynne will get around to that soon. I promise. Trust me.


	3. One Lynne, Two Lynn

Summary: Alex goes on maternity leave and Bobby/Bishop get a case involving someone that Mary Lynne knows quite well. How in the world will Bobby handle it when Lynn takes a disliking to Lynne? Set all throughout Alex's pregnancy.

---

"Hello?"

"Hi, Lewis! It's Lynne. I was just wondering if you had plans tonight?"

"I do now," he replied with a chuckle. "Where did you want to go?"

"Nowhere. I just thought you'd like to see the penthouse after I redecorated. It's now Eric memory free. I'm even making dinner." She seemed quite proud of herself in coming up with the plan to seduce her boyfriend of six months. Of course … he didn't _know_ he was going to be seduced. Oh, well. That just meant more fun for her.

"Okay. What time?" Lewis asked, completely unaware of her plans.

"How's seven?"

"Perfect. See you then."

"Bye."

Lynne grinned at Alex as she hung up the phone, "Phase one, complete."

Alex just laughed at Lynne's behavior, one hand on her stomach. The baby boy inside kicked, causing Alex to grin, "He's a fighter, this one."

"He's kicking again?"

Alex nodded, motioning for Lynne to put her hand on the other woman's stomach to feel the babe kick. Lynne grinned back at the surrogate mother in awe.

"When do you go on maternity leave?" Lynne asked a few minutes later.

"Next week," Alex said. "It's been torture enough to be on desk duty … I just don't like the idea of leaving Bobby alone with someone who doesn't understand how he works. And Bishop just _doesn't _get it."

"What do you mean?"

"She …" Alex sighed, frustrated, "She follows him around like a love-sick puppy!"

Sarge trotted in, reminding Lynne of something, "Speaking of puppies," she said, nodding to her dog. "Guess who got some from one of the neighbor dogs?"

"No," Alex said, hardly believing her ears, "Sarge is pregnant? I thought they sterilized all police dogs."

"Apparently it didn't take with her," Lynne said, sending a mock glare at her dog that had obviously gained a good five pounds in her pregnancy. Sarge just panted at her owner before plopping up on the sofa beside Alex and resting her head on the pregnant woman's lap affectionately. "The doctor told me she'll probably give birth around the same time as you, actually."

Alex raised her eyebrows again, "Really?" She looked down at the dog watching her, "And who's this mystery dog, Sarge? Can we meet him?"

Sarge looked back at her humans smugly as if to tell them that it was rude for a lady (of any species) to kiss and tell. She put her head back down where it had been previously resting on Alex's lap and promptly went back to sleep.

Lynne snorted, "Just like life, ain't it? My _dog _gets more action than I do!"

Alex grinned slyly at her, "I thought that's why you set up your dinner date tonight with Lewis? Seduction's on the table for dessert, isn't it?"

Lynne just grinned back evilly at her friend, "He'll never know what hit him."

The doorbell rang and Alex looked at the clock, "Oh, that'll be Bobby."

"Here to whisk you away to Vegas to get married?" Lynne joked with her. Alex had learned very early on that Bobby's ex-girlfriend held no ill will toward him, and truly wanted him to be happy. Apparently Lynne thought Alex could make him happy.

The detective glared at her, "No, here to drive me to my doctor's appointment." She patted her belly, "Baby likes how he drives."

Bobby couldn't understand why Lynne was laughing so hard for the life of him as he helped his partner into her coat and walked with her back to the elevator.

"What were you two talking about?" he asked his partner on the elevator ride down to the lobby.

Alex smirked at him, "Dogs."

---

"Eames?" Alex asked as she shifted her weight in her desk the next day. Bobby had gone out to get her some lunch and she was anxiously awaiting a call from Lynne about the previous night.

"Hi, it's me," the designer said. Alex could hear the grin that covered the other woman's face as she spoke.

"How'd it go?" Alex asked curiously even though she already knew.

"Even better than I thought it would," Lynne replied mysteriously, causing the detective to laugh and Bishop to look up in confusion.

"He was receptive?"

"Very."

"How much is 'very'?"

"Well … A lady really shouldn't kiss and tell … but he was limping when he left a couple hours ago."

Bobby gave his partner a inquisitive look as he passed her the fruit salad and turkey sandwich he had for her. Her smile never left her face as she thanked him and told the woman on the line, "I gotta go, Lynne. Food's here and the bump is telling me it's time to eat."

"Bye, Alex. Call me when you get off work."

"I will, bye."

Alex hung up the phone and turned to her partner with a sly grin, "Talked to Lewis yet today?" she asked innocently.

Bobby glanced at her curiously again as he said, "He called me while I was getting lunch. I take it Lynne was talking to you about the same thing?"

Alex nodded, rather pleased with herself, "I never really thought that they'd get together … but they make a cute couple, don't they?"

"Who?" Deakins asked as he walked to their desks to retrieve the sandwich he had asked Bobby to pick up for him.

"Lewis and Lynne," Bobby replied before he took a bite of his pastrami on rye.

Deakins nodded, "They are a cute couple."

As the conversation continued, and more detectives arrived to discuss Lynne's love life, a different Lynn, whose surname was Bishop, watched while pretending not to. Why did she feel like she was suddenly back in high school and missing a very important part of the social structure?

---

The next few weeks went by in a happy, busy blur for Lynne as she and Lewis adjusted to their relationship's new developments. Alex went on full maternity leave, occupying her time every week with some 'girl time' with Lynne and Alex's sister, Meg; and checking up on Bobby daily … or was that Bobby checking up on her?

Life was going as smooth as could be expected until the eventful Monday that Natalie didn't show up for work and didn't call in.

Lynne worriedly glanced at Natalie's desk for the fifth time in two minutes. It was nearing noon and there was still no sign of her assistant. Finally she sighed and picked up her phone.

"Goren," the burly detective on the other line answered.

"Bobby? It's Lynne. What are you doing right now?"

"Paperwork, why?"

"It's probably nothing … but Natalie hasn't shown up to work today and I haven't heard from her since Saturday."

"She didn't call in sick?"

"No, if she had she'd have called my direct line."

"I'll stop by her house and see if anything's wrong."

She sighed in relief knowing that something would be done about her missing assistant. "Thank you," she whispered, unable to say anything else do to the nagging feeling in her gut that told her what he found wouldn't be good.

"I'll call you and let you know what we find."

"Bye."

---

She couldn't stop the tears as she looked at the picture in front of her. Dead? Why did the people around her always end up dying?

Her tearstained face looked up at Bobby, "You already know it's her," she whispered. "She doesn't have any family here … just a cousin living in Gaza."

"Do you know how to contact them?" Bishop asked from her spot on the other side of the table. So this was the woman everyone seemed to be head over heels for? Lynn was sure she could take her.

"Joshua Shultz, his phone number should be in her file at the office," Lynne said, tears escaping again from her eyes. "I just can't believe she's dead. I saw her on Saturday."

"What time?"

The designer closed her eyes, trying to remember, "Um … we had a photo shoot for the new Vogue ads. It ended at one-thirty. We went out to lunch together at Del Posto with the photographer … last time I saw her was at three when she told me she was going to a party and would call me on Sunday." Lynne sniffed in her seat, the tears coming faster, "I checked my messages but the call never came. And when she didn't come into work today …"

The full onslaught of the tears racked Lynne's body as Bobby held her close, giving her what comfort he could. All Bishop could think was that it was odd how Goren could switch from bumbling detective to cuddly teddy bear in moments depending on whom he was with. She wondered if she'd ever be granted a Goren-hug. They looked nice.

There was a knock on the door to the interview room they were using. Bishop looked up to see five detectives looking worriedly at the sobbing woman in Goren's arms. He shook his head slightly at them, causing all to frown.

"What happened?" one asked … Mitch; she thought his name was – yes, Mitch Stevens.

Bobby glanced down at the picture on the table and Mitch's face went white. "Not Natalie," he said in horror. Bobby's grim face and Lynne's sobs were his only response.

---

Sarge's growing tummy and Lewis's sweet and loving ministrations allowed Lynne to take her mind off her friend's death for a few hours. It wasn't much, but it was all she had to cling to as her work life only caused harsh memories to surface.

A few days after Natalie's death Lynne was over as Lewis's house, early in the morning after a long night full of passion that could not be pent up.

She was watching him again. Not that he minded, of course, but the first time he had woken up to find her staring at him it had been a little unnerving.

"I love you," she whispered to his half-awake form.

"I love you, too," he replied, much to her shock, as he opened his eyes with a warm smile. "I think I've loved you for a long time."

"Then why didn't you say something?" she asked coyly.

He shrugged, "You were with Bobby."

"But I'm not anymore. Now I'm with you."

Lewis grinned like a fool as his hand went to stroke her arm, "I like the sound of that."

"So do I," she confessed, leaning in to take another kiss from his still swollen lips.

---

"And how did you know Natalie wasn't just still at that party she went to Saturday night?" Bishop asked the woman in front of her in the interview room.

Lynne glared at her and sighed – she had come in to give her statement before taking Alex to the spa to relax, only to be bombarded by Bobby's temporary partner trying to poke holes into her story. "I already told you, Detective Bishop, it was out of character for Natalie not to call me on Sunday but I thought that she might have met someone at the party and forgot. When she didn't come in to work on _Monday_ I got worried and asked Bobby to go check in on her. Why are you trying to point the finger at me? I lost one of my closest friends and colleagues – I'd _appreciate_ it if you got of my back and focused your efforts on finding the _real killer_!" Lynne nearly yelled at the end.

Bishop's gaze sharpened at the other woman as she hissed, "And _I'd_ appreciate it if I could go through just _one_ hour in this place without having to hear your name spoken like some damn guru's. I don't care _who_ you used to fuck, Ms. Andrews, but the truth is I don't trust you and I don't care what the rest of the squad thinks about that."

Lynne's face went pale as she quietly digested the harsh words the other woman had said. Finally she had composed herself enough to stand and say in a near whisper, "Jealousy is a powerful thing, Detective. I just hope it won't cloud your judgment for too much longer. I'd really like an opertunity to properly mourn my friend before her memorial service."

She walked to the doorway before she turned and said as calmly as she could, "And _never, ever_ try to make out my relationship with this squad as one that arose from my previous relationship with Bobby."

With that Mary Lynne strode purposefully through the squad room, stopping only once to say something to Detective Carolyn Sparre before she left the bullpen. When Bishop walked by Carolyn and Mitch Steven's conjoined desks she heard them say:

"I can't believe it's spa day again," Mitch groaned.

Carolyn just laughed at him as she packed up her things, "You're just jealous because Deakins gave me the afternoon off so I could go with Alex and Lynne." She cocked her head to one side and added, "Or is it because I get to see them wearing nothing but towels?"

Mitch glared at his partner, "Like I'd touch either one of them – Deakins would have my ass and I don't fancy the idea of getting into a fist fight with Goren, thanks all the same."

Sean Pearle, sitting at his desk a few feet away, looked up at Mitch's words, "Spa day?" He looked at the calendar, "Hmm. Didn't realize it was Friday again so soon. You goin' to the party Lynne's havin' for Sarge on Sunday?"

"Yeah. Wouldn't miss it for the world, Sean – heard she even sent out to some place in Maryland for a cake shaped like Sarge, too – belly and all."

"How many do you think she'll have?" Sean's partner, Anthony Dylan asked as he sat down with a cup of coffee.

"I put my money on five," Mitch replied as Bishop just sat in her desk, pleased that she was still close enough to hear everything going on. Maybe it would help her learn a little more about the woman they all seemed to love so much.

"She shouldn't even be pregnant in the first place – I said three," Sean replied. "You know she made the cake with Sarge in the middle and the pups on the outside to show how many there are. It's gonna look so cool."

Carolyn just rolled her eyes and smirked at her coworkers, "It's like being back in high school again, I swear. See you Sunday."

"See you Sunday," the other three replied in unison as she left.

"Damn," Anthony said, looking at the calendar, "When's Natalie's funeral?"

"She's getting buried in Israel, Tony, there's just going to be a memorial service here," Sean replied. "The service is on Tuesday at seven."

Sean's gaze flickered to Lynn, who was doing a poor job of hiding her interest, "You comin' on Sunday?"

Lynn shrugged, "I wasn't aware I was invited."

Mitch grinned, "_Everyone's_ invited."

"Yeah, come on," Anthony piped in, seeing how Bishop was wavering on the verge of giving in, "We'll pick you up on our way. You like dogs, don't you?"

Bishop nodded, how they knew that she'd never know, "Why?"

"Lynne's got a _great_ Doberman – used to be a police dog – anyway, she's pregnant and that's what the party's for," Sean explained.

As the other detectives got back to work Lynn Bishop had to wonder just how much of what she had said to Mary Lynne Andrews had been the truth.

---

Bobby heaved a sigh as he set the dinner plates in the sink and went to watch the movie Eames had picked out. He loved how feminine she looked when she came back from the spa treatments with Lynne and Carolyn, and it sent shivers down his spine to think of the exfoliation treatments he knew she had been receiving. Of course, he'd never let her know that.

"What is it?" Alex asked him as she took the cup of tea he offered her. "You seem tired, Bobby. Is it a case?"

Bobby shook his head, driving the heel of his hand into the bridge of his nose. "Bishop doesn't like Lynne," he finally said, removing his hand from his face as he looked at his stunning partner, "And I have no _clue_ why."

Alex smirked at him, "She's jealous of Lynne, Bobby. Just like she's jealous of me."

"What? Why?"

"Because of our relationships with you," Alex replied confidently. "Now get me a blanket, my feet are cold."

He chuckled softly as he got up to do just that, and get her the pair of socks that she hadn't asked for but probably wanted anyway even if she couldn't put them on by herself anymore. Bobby didn't know what to think about her analysis of Lynn Bishop's feelings toward two of the most important women in his life. Why should she be jealous?

Alex glared at her partner when she saw the fluffy socks in his hand, but it soon turned to a soft smile when he sat on the other side of the sofa and started to massage her ice cold feet before putting them into the warmest pair of socks she owned. "Ohhh, I could get used to this," she said as she flexed her now comfortable toes. Bobby just smiled at her and shifted so that he was sitting beside her again, in the perfect spot to be her pillow as he turned on the black and white classic staring Ginger Rodgers called: _The Major and the Minor_.

As she snuggled up against his chest she said, "You spoil me, Bobby."

"You should be spoiled," he replied softly as he put his arm around her to keep her close as they watched the movie.

About half way through she grabbed his hand and put it on her stomach. "I think you'll want to feel this," she said right before the baby boy kept safe and warm inside Alex's womb kicked at Bobby's hand fiercely.

He smiled fondly as the babe kicked again, causing him to gaze in awe at how his hand was able to engulf such a large portion of Alex's stomach that contained the greatest gift God ever gave man. Bobby could only hope that one day he was granted that same gift with the woman sitting next to him.

---

Sarge was lavishing in the attention being bestowed on her from almost all her people when the doorbell rang and she smelled the scent of an unfamiliar human. Deciding this potential threat needed investigating, the very pregnant pooch rose from where she was on top of the sofa and followed her human to see to what manner of person this strange new smell belonged.

Lynne opened the door and her eyes grew wide with shock as she saw not only Mitch and Sean standing there, but Lynn Bishop as well. Sarge barked happily at the new arrivals before going over to examine Bishop and make sure she could pass as well. "Detective Bishop," the hostess said surprise evident in her voice, as her dog welcomed the new woman into the house without so much as a customary warning growl most of the other detectives had received.

"Come in," Lynne said, remembering her manners as she ushered the three into the rest of the penthouse. "It seems Sarge likes you, Detective Bishop."

Bishop shrugged, "My parents bred show dogs when I was little and I've always had an affinity for animals."

"Ah," Lynne said before she was called away to settle a rather humorous dispute between Howard and Fin over 'whose horse is bigger'.

As the party progressed, Lynn Bishop was able to see a different side in her colleagues and no longer wondered why they loved the petite designer with such ferocity as they did: Lynne gave the detectives a place where they could be themselves without having to worry about what others thought of them.

"Are you ready for the _real_ fun to begin?" a nameless detective from a different squad asked Bishop, jarring her from her thoughts.

"What?" she asked, unsure what the unknown man meant by his words.

He smiled slightly and pointed to the table where a cake shaped in perfect replica of Sarge, with three puppies gathered around her feet, sat beside Goren and Eames. "They do this every time."

"Do what?" Lynn Bishop asked softly as she watched the very pregnant Eames sit down on the far side of the table while Bobby sat on the nearer side.

"Arm wrestle to see who gets to cut the cake," he replied. "I'm James, one of Lynne's assistants," he held out his hand to the detective, "You must be the other Lynn."

Bishop looked at him oddly as she took his hand, "Detective Lynn Bishop. How'd you know that?"

James shushed her, "They're about to start."

Bishop watched in fascination as match between the partners intensified and the rest of the room cheered on whichever one they thought would win. "It's like this every time," James whispered in her ear. "He tried letting her win the first time," with a chuckle he added, "Let's just say no one underestimates Alex Eames' ability to hold her own. Least of all Bobby Goren."

When Bobby finally got Alex's hand down to the table, cheers sprang forth from half the room while the other half silently huffed with Eames at the loss.

"It's just because the bump put me off balance," Alex said with a smirk as he partner eagerly cut the masterpiece of a cake.

"Of course, Eames."

"Do you see now?" Lynne asked Bishop, startling her again. She really had to pay more attention to the people around her.

Lynn didn't need to ask what the other woman was referring to. She nodded once, "I … I didn't realize how much –"

"They need this?" Lynne finished for her with raised eyebrows, "Well, everyone needs a place to relax if only for a few hours." _It has absolutely _nothing_ to do with the relationship I once had with Bobby_, the designer added silently through her eyes.

Bishop nodded again, letting her know the message had been received loud and clear.

"Good," Lynne said with a nod, motioning the detective forward, "Cake?"

* * *

A/N: Del Posto is one of the many restaurants owned by Mario Batali. If you haven't got it yet from my other references to him, he's one of my favorite chefs. Reviews?

I really didn't expect this thing to take so long, but it was how it wanted to be written. I hadn't even planned on killing off Natalie!


	4. Girl's Day Out

A/N: Sorry this took so long in getting out, but I kinda lost interest in this story and just finished writing this. Hope you like it.

* * *

"What are you up to today?" Bobby asked Alex on the phone as he shuffled through his stack of morning paperwork. 

"Lynne's taking me shopping for some clothes that actually fit," Alex told him, obviously a little upset that she could wear none of her pre-baby clothes yet. "Then we're going to catch a movie and make sure that you get off work at a reasonable time."

Bobby smiled slightly at her inference that he worked too much. "I'll make sure we're not interrogating a suspect then."

Alex snorted, causing Bobby to question, "What?"

"I think that's the first time since I left that you said 'we' instead of 'I'." She could feel his light blush on the other end at her words, so she quickly changed the subject, "Where are you taking us for dinner, anyway?"

Bobby chuckled softly as he said, "Why would I tell you that? It's much more fun to make you wait."

"Goren, do you have the lugs from the payphone near John Doe's body?" Bishop asked as she walked up toward his desk, ready for another day of following him around and doing much of the menial labor in the partnership.

He passed his temporary partner the sheet of paper without looking up, "See you this afternoon, then."

"I swear if you're interviewing suspects or doing things that can wait until tomorrow when we get there -" his eyes twinkled with amusement as he put the phone back into its cradle.

"We should start by re-interviewing the guy who found the body."

---

Alex glared at the phone in shock, "He hung up on me," she told Lynne in disbelief. "He actually had the nerve to hang up on me!"

Lynne handed Alex the bottle of water the detective had requested as she said, "Wow, he must be pretty preoccupied. I don't think he's ever hung up the phone on anyone before. Well, except Lewis - but he deserved it and it only happened once." Lynne tried to keep the smile from her face at the memory, but the more she tried, the harder it became not to think about Lewis calling at the most inopportune moment.

"Where are you taking me shopping?" Alex asked Lynne a few moments later. "Some place good, right?"

Lynne grinned at him, "Does the Armani show room for next season sound good?"

Alex's eyes glittered at the thought of trying on clothes that no one else she worked with would be wearing.

---

The day passed uneventfully as Alex had clothes fitted to her by a team that worked on the female clothing line at Armani. In the month since she had given birth she had lost most of the weight that baby Connor had insisted she gain, but she still wasn't small enough to fit into most of her pre-pregnancy clothes.

"Alex, we should get going," Lynne told the detective at four-thirty. "I still have to drop something off with Jimmy and ask Detective Bishop a rather … important question."

"Are you going to see if she wants one of Sarge's puppies?" Alex asked as her new wardrobe was packed into bags for the two women to carry out.

Lynne shrugged, "It's the least I can do. They're just big enough to be taken away from Sarge and I definitely _cannot_ keep all three of them."

Alex grinned at her, "How many _can_ you keep?"

"I was thinking about keeping two of them."

"What ones? Have you decided that yet?"

"The runt I've decided to keep and name Kali. Then there's the one with the white mark on his forehead."

"Picked a name for him yet?"

Lynne's smile widened into an impossibly large grin, "Detective."

"What?"

"I named him Detective." Alex snorted as they got into the minivan cab. "One Police Plaza, please," she told the driver as they put Alex's bags into the back seat.

"One Police Plaza?" said the driver with a Brooklyn accent. "There's just one problem: You're in the Cash Cab!"

"Ahh!" Lynne yelped as the lights and sound effects came on, startling her. Alex laughed at her as their cabbie explained the rules.

"I'm your host, Ben Bailey, and here's how you play: I'll ask you general knowledge questions all the way to your destination. They'll get harder as we go along and it's three strikes and you're out. I'll pull over and kick you out wherever we are. For each question you answer correctly you rack up money. You'll have two shout outs - one mobile shout out and one street shout out. So, whaddya say? Wanna play?"

Lynne and Alex exchanged looks before the designer shrugged and Alex said, "Sure, why not? It's not like we're playing with our money."

"Excellent. We've got thirty-nine blocks - a nice long ride to rack up lots of money for you two ladies. Tell me your names."

"I'm Alex and this is Lynne."

"All right, Alex and Lynne, the first four questions are going to be for $25 dollars each. Ready?"

"Ready," Lynne replied, her heart thumping in excitement.

"Okay, then: What's the largest province in Canada?"

"Quebec," Alex said assuredly.

"That is correct!" Ben said. "You're on the board with $25. Next question: Which French author wrote The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo?"

"Alexander Dumas!" Lynne said gleefully, pleased that she knew at least one of the answers.

"That is correct! Okay, next question: What is the name of the alleged serial killer convicted last year for stealing the identity of one Elizabeth Hitchens?"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Alex said. "Nicole Wallace is actually helping us with something?"

"I need you're answer."

"Nicole Wallace," Alex said. "And for the record, she's a sociopath - not just a serial killer. There's nothing alleged about that."

"You sound like you know her."

"She's one of the detectives who arrested Nicole Wallace," Lynne said.

"Wow. Never thought I'd get to meet a celebrity. Last $25 question …"

The cab ride continued in such manner until Alex and Lynne were into their $100 questions, with a total of $700 after a Red Light Challenge and never missing a question or having to use their shout outs.

"What formerly independent city became a borough of New York City in 1898?" went their next question from Ben Bailey.

Lynne and Alex shared a look before Lynne shrugged her shoulders, "I was never good at history."

Alex furrowed her brow as Ben said, "Ten seconds."

"I think it's Staten Island," Alex said. She shook her head, "It's Brooklyn."

"I need an answer."

"Brooklyn," Alex said. They could afford to miss it if she was wrong, so she wasn't too put out by it.

"That is correct! Okay, last question: What is the name of the high functioning form of autism that doctors just started diagnosing in 1994?"

"Oh, crap!" Alex explained, "I should know this. Wally Stevens has it."

"Should we call Bobby?" Lynne asked. "He should remember."

"Yeah. We're going to use our mobile shout out," Alex told Ben Bailey.

"Calling who?" he asked as Lynne took out her phone and dialed Bobby's desk phone.

"My partner," Alex said, "Bobby."

"It's ringing," Lynne said.

"Hello?" came a female voice on the other end.

"Bishop?" Lynne asked, "Where's Bobby?"

"He's talking with Deakins and Carver," the man's interim partner told the other woman.

"Can you ask him what type of autism Wally Stevens has?"

"But he's in a meeting."

"Just do it," Lynne snapped.

"Fine, just a minute." About thirty seconds later she came back on the line, "He said Aespergers Syndrome."

"Thanks, Bishop." She hung up the phone and turned her attention to Ben and Alex, "Aespergers Syndrome," Lynne said. "And, yes, that's our answer."

"That is correct! Congratulations! You've won $900 on the Cash Cab! Now I have the money right here, you can take it and run, or you can risk it all on a double or nothing video bonus round."

Alex and Lynne looked at the money and then at each other. "You know Bobby's going to expect part of this because he helped us with that question," Lynne commented. "But I don't think I want to risk it."

Alex nodded, "Okay. Sorry, Ben, but we're going just take the money and go."

"Thanks for playing."

"Bye."

They carried Alex's three bags of clothes up to the eleventh floor where they found Bobby and Bishop talking about a case.

"Thanks for that info, Goren, it won us a hundred bucks," Alex said as she set down her bags on the floor beside her desk.

"Huh?" Bobby asked curiously. "What were you doing?"

"Taking a ride in the Cash Cab," Lynne said with a grin. "We're pretty smart." She turned her attention to Bishop, "I was wondering if you wanted one of Sarge's puppies. I can't keep one of the girls - no room in my house for four dogs."

Lynn nodded, "Thanks. I'd like that."

---

"Did you have fun with Lynne, Eames?" Bobby asked as they ate dinner at her house later that night.

"Yep. Got lots of new clothes, too." She smirked at her partner as she changed the subject, "When do you think Lewis is gonna ask her?"

Bobby shook his head, "He didn't tell me, but I think it's going to be soon. I'm glad they're together. They're good for each other."

"You don't hold any ill will toward Lewis? I mean, you and Lynne _did_ date for two years, Bobby," Alex prodded, wanting to make sure that he wasn't jealous of his friend.

He shook his head, "No, I don't. We weren't right for each other."

Alex just hoped that he would realize soon how right the two of _them_ were for each other … and how much she had grown to love him in the past year and a half.

* * *

A/N: I LOVE watching Cash Cab on Discovery Channel. Most of the questions actually came from the show, but obviously the one about Nicole came from my mind. Please review. 


	5. Just the Way You Are

A/N: Okay, this is a little shorter than I'd like, but I thought you'd like it now rather than later. It took some time to write, and I appologize for not having it up sooner. RL is a bitch sometimes - like right now.

Summary: Lewis and Lynne have a clash of culture when she needs him to escort her to a charity event and he doesn't think he'll fit in. Can they work through this new hurdle? Or is their relationship broken beyond repair? Mid Season Three.

---

"Lewis, it's _just_ a charity auction, is that too much to ask?" Lynne told her boyfriend of nearly a year, her eyes wide with disbelief. She took off her over coat and hung it up on the coat rack in the entry way she had purchased for Lewis's apartment months ago.

"Yeah, it is," he replied, throwing his jacket down on the sofa before bringing a hand up to massage the bridge of his nose. _Damn it, these things are getting worse_, he thought.

"Why?" she asked, exasperatedly as she picked up his jacket and put it next to hers on the coat rack. "I need to go, and I don't want to go alone. Why is it too much for you to take me?"

"I don't fit in with those people, Lynne!" Lewis gestured wildly as his voice rose, "I never have! Those people are snobs with money that I never seem to measure up to! Why can't _you_ understand that I'm _not_ that kind of guy? I never will be."

Lynne scowled, "Do you think I care how much money you make, Lewis?"

"Don't you? I can't buy you expensive things, Lynne. I can't have a conversation with those other guys about yachts and country clubs - hell, the only time I've ever been in a country club was when Bobby and I were seventeen looking for some easy cash." His eyes blazed with anger as he spoke in a raised tone.

"I still have to go, Lewis," Lynne told him, trying desperately not to cry. Why was it that they always fought over these things?

"Well, maybe you should. But don't expect me to be waiting up for you," he said harshly. "Maybe I'm just too middle class for you to handle, Lynne."

Without a word to even justify his last biting comment, pale-faced Lynne turned on her heels, picked up her coat and left the apartment to retreat with the last vestige of dignity to her own home in a different borough of New York City.

---

Alex was cuddled up against Bobby, her head resting on his chest, just above his heart beat. It was soothing as they watched one of his favorite movies: _Die Hard_. Subconsciously, Bobby's hand stroked Alex's arm as they watched John McClain try to save the hostages from the terrorist group.

She was half asleep from the rhythm of his constant heart beat and his hand's movement when the phone rang, jarring her from her comfort. She reached for her cell phone on Bobby's coffee table as he paused the movie.

"Eames. … Lynne? What's wrong? … He said _what_? … I'll be there in half an hour, just hang on. Don't do anything drastic." She hung up and turned to Bobby with an apology in her eyes. "I'm sorry, but I have to go."

"What'd Lewis do this time?" Bobby asked, sitting forward.

Before Alex could answer, Bobby's land line rang, "Goren. … Hey, man. … Give me twenty minutes, I'll be right there." He hung up and turned to Alex, "Looks like I'll find out from Lewis."

Alex just shook her head, "Sometimes, I really wonder about those two."

---

"And then he said that I thought he was too 'low class' for me to handle!" Lynne sobbed into Alex's arms.

Alex tried to hush her friend as she babbled on and on intermittent tears of grief at the rift that had somehow grown between Lynne and Lewis.

"I'm sure he didn't mean it, Lynne," Alex tried to reassure her friend. "He called Bobby -"

Lynne's head shot up and her eyes narrowed in anger, "He called my ex-boyfriend to help him deal with this! That pig."

"Bobby also happens to be one of Lewis's best friends," Alex said, trying to suppress a smile at Lynne's outburst. "Lynne, it will turn out, I know it will."

"It's just, how could he think that I care about how much money he makes?" Lynne's distraught tone was almost too much for the detective to take.

"He's a man. He wants to take care of you," Alex tried again.

Lynne looked at her and just stared, the other woman could swear that she could see the wheels turning over in her head as she thought about the situation. Her eyes were unfocused as she thought about the situation and what was really important to her.

After long minutes of silence Lynne blinked and focused back on Alex. "I know what I have to do," she said softly, in a resigned voice that left no room for argument. "I'm going to resign from Armani."

"What? But - you love your job!" Alex was more than a little confused as to how Lynne could give up her dream job so easily.

Lynne's answer was so simple and blatant: "I love Lewis more."

---

Lewis hit the pool ball with the cue with precession and ease that came from practice and skill. "I just don't know what to do anymore, man," he told his companion. "She just doesn't get it."

"Explain it to her," Bobby replied, leaning lightly against his pool cue as he took a drink from his beer.

Lewis hit another ball, this time it didn't make it to the socket. He glared at Bobby before responding, "And how exactly am I supposed to do that? I can't tell her that I'm upset because she wants me to go to fancy parties where I don't fit in! That's … wrong."

"Is it really the parties?" Bobby prodded. "She's pretty good at understanding things like that."

Lewis glared again, frustrated beyond belief, "How the hell am I supposed to be the man in the fucking relationship when she makes over three times as much money as I do?"

"_That's_ what this is about? She makes more money than you?" Bobby raised his eyebrows, "Why don't you just tell her that?"

Lewis scoffed, "And get labeled a chauvinistic, archaic pig? No thank you."

Bobby rolled his eyes again and went to take his shot. He landed two balls into the sockets he had been aiming toward.

---

They didn't talk for a week. Mostly because Lewis spent the whole week trying to tell Lynne what was bothering him, and because Lynne wanted everything to be perfect for their six month anniversary. She had put in her resignation at the beginning of the week, and her last day would be Friday. Saturday was their anniversary.

After a good-bye party her staff had thrown for her, Lynne made sure her replacement was set up in the office, and left the Armani building for the last time. It was the end of a ten-year long era of her life, but she knew she was going forward to better things.

A job was already in line for her to start on Monday at a small mom and pop tailoring shop a few blocks from Lewis's garage.

Saturday dawned bright and early for Lynne as she put the finishing touches on her plans for the day: Bobby was going to take Lewis out to a car show that morning while she snuck into his apartment and got the place ready for when he came back a little after lunch.

"I just don't know what to do anymore. She's not returning any of my calls," Lewis told Bobby as they walked up the steps to his apartment.

Bobby smiled inwardly, knowing what his friend would find behind the door, but also knowing better than to say anything. He'd seen Lynne upset, and he _didn't_ want to be the one to make her that way a second time.

When the door opened, it set off a trip wire that was connected to the stereo, causing it to start playing Billy Joel's 'Just the Way You Are' softly. Lewis gave his buddy a curious look, only to get a shove in response as Bobby shut the door and made his break for it.

Lewis frowned as he walked further into his apartment and found rose petals on the floor, marking a path to the living room. Once there his breath caught in his throat when he saw Lynne in the middle of the room, dressed in the most beautiful thing he'd ever seen, standing just in front of a table set for two.

"I'm sorry," she said finally, unnerved at his silent reaction to her gesture. "I - I quit my job."

His eyes narrowed as he took in her words, "Why?" he finally asked.

Her eyes sought his out as she replied, "Because I hate going to gala openings; I'm not good at telling other people with twenty more years experience than me what to do; and I love you more than I love my job. I'm not going to let it stand in the way of us."

Lewis was touched by her words and swiftly closed the distance separating them. He reached out and touched her face, bringing it closer to his own. "I love you, too," he whispered before kissing her with the pent up passion that had been denied both of them for the past week.

When they came up for air, he had a few other things to say in response to her announcements, "I'm sorry, too. I shouldn't have said it." He kissed her lips softly this time, pulling back before it could go any deeper than it should at the moment. "Let's get married."

She smiled lazily at him and his spur of the moment idea. It was a very good idea in her mind, "Okay."

"Grab your coat," he said, pulling away from her. "We'll get Bobby and Alex to meet us at City Hall."

"What? _Now_?" Lynne knew she wanted to marry Lewis, but this seemed a bit sudden.

"Why put off the inevitable?" he shot back as he disappeared into the bedroom, soon to reappear looking well put together and ready to elope. "I can't risk you changing your mind on me, sweet cheeks."

"Sweet cheeks? Did Bobby get you drunk or something?"

Lewis grinned at her but refrained from answering as he flipped open his cell and dialed the pre-programmed number for Bobby. "City Hall," he said by way of introduction, "Half an hour. Be there and bring Detective Alex with you."

---

"By the power vested in me by the great state of New York, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the judge told the couple before him with a smile. He turned to Detective Goren and Eames standing a few feet away from the happy couple, and nodded once to Goren. At least now he didn't owe Detective Goren any more favors. Maybe next time he should just try to stay out of trouble - he'd been having a nice day at home with his family when he'd gotten the call.

At least Goren hadn't asked him to help dispose of a body …

* * *

A/N: Don't get concerned! The last line was meant as a joke! 


	6. Author's Note

Author's note:

I have been trying to write the definative Bobby/Alex ending that this story needs with the timeline that I have down, but I can't seem to do it.

Please forgive me for the jump the story will take when I post again, but writer's block is terrible and it's just the way that the damn thing wanted to be written.

Sincerely,

BookWorm37


	7. Deja Vu

Summary:Lynne helps Bobby deal with the turmoil of losing Alex at the start of season six.

--

Mike watched the burly detective slowly come undone as the day wore on. He wasn't the only one who noticed how Bobby was falling apart, either. There was a small group of detectives who had been talking about it off and on all day. It seemed, however, that they weren't going to do anything about it.

When he approached one of the men about it, though, the man just shook his head and said that she'd be there when she could.

She? Who's she?

They forgot that he wasn't there back when Lynne used to come around. But when Logan tried to press for more information the detective just shook his head and refused to elaborate any more than saying, "You'll see soon enough."

Mike Logan _did_ see soon enough.

His first hint that something was up was the way the other detectives were trying to be covert as they looked at the elevators. Soon enough one opened on their floor and a petite woman with dark auburn hair came out, the click of her heels on the tile causing detectives to sigh in relief. Mike was a bit confused as to why she had a container of Tupperware in one hand and a suit in the other.

To the shock of Mike Logan she walked straight up to Goren's desk, where he was sitting with his head between his hands in utter despair, and let down the plastic container with a thump. Without waiting for a reaction from Goren she started talking, "You will eat at _least_ half of the orzo salad in that container, and then you will wash up and change your clothes, and _then_ you will go upstairs and lie down for at _least_ four hours. If you attempt to deviate from this to do list, you will not appreciate the consequences."

Much to Logan's surprise, Bobby's head came up and he set about opening the lid on the container and started to eat the prescribed amount of orzo. Around him other detectives were letting out sighs of relief as Goren continued to eat.

The woman looked around and found a vacant chair a few feet away that she pulled up so she could sit beside Goren. Mike added the information that she purposefully looked over Eames' chair during her short hunt. Bobby was the first to break the silence, "Where are Wyatt and Hannah?"

Her answer was the quiet reply of, "With Lewis." Bobby raised an eyebrow at the answer and she elaborated, "We may be divorced, Bobby, but he's still their father and they love him."

"They're two. They love everybody."

"Especially their Uncle Bobby and Auntie Alex," she shot back. He fidgeted in his chair and she changed her tone back to soft and comforting, "You didn't seem to think Lewis was such a bad guy when we got married nearly four years ago, Bobby."

"That was before." She didn't need clarification to know that he meant before Lewis started limiting the amount of time she spent out with her friends. Possessive was the only word for it.

"We make much better friends than we ever did marriage partners," she smiled sadly at the memory of her failed three year marriage. She noticed that he was now only picking at his food, "Eat up, mister, you don't want Alex to come back and find you sick, do you?"

His gaze suddenly turned haunted as he stared at his partner's empty desk. The unknown woman slid out of her chair and took Goren's face in her hands, forcing him to look at her. "Stop it," she ordered him. "She's coming back, so just stop thinking like that right now."

"How can you be so positive?" he whispered.

Her eyes were full of confidence and sincerity as she replied, "Because she wouldn't leave you like this. Not after everything is said and done. Because I've been there, and I know. Call it intuition or a gut feeling, Bobby, but I just _know_ that she's going to come back, alright? Now buck up and finish eating, the orzo's getting warm." She released his face and pointed toward the container with the command written on her face. Goren knew when not to argue.

"Where'd you get this recipe anyway?" Goren asked as he got back to eating.

"Oh, it's one I found in that cookbook Mrs. Goldstein gave me for my birthday, _Hip Kosher_. Do you like it?" the woman asked, knowing when it was time to change the subject.

"Would I eat it if I didn't, Lynne?"

"Yes."

"I never thought blueberries would be appropriate with orzo, but it is good."

"Wyatt thought so, too when I gave them some for lunch today. It was Hannah's idea to bring you some, actually. She was very worried about you."

Bobby finished eating and pushed the container away. Lynne stood and handed him the suit, "Half an hour, Bobby. If you stay in there longer I'm coming in after you." Her stern look made Mike believe that she wasn't kidding, and that it wouldn't be any fun for Bobby if she had to go in and get him.

The big burly detective nodded and made his way to the locker room used by detectives who had to work long shifts.

Lynne let out a deep breath as she saw him disappear from view. When she knew he was out of hearing range she turned her attention to the throng of detectives who had been watching her with interest. "Well?" she asked, "Don't make a liar out of me."

Deakins couldn't have gotten a faster reaction from his detectives as they got back to work.

--

Ross watched the woman's handling of his detectives and had to scratch his head. She looked familiar somehow, but he couldn't place it. He watched her as she walked around his squad room as if she'd worked there for years, fixed a cup of coffee, took a sip and threw it away in disgust. He watched enthralled as she tossed out the rest of the coffee and made another pot. She moved fluidly and gracefully as she waited for the pot to brew.

Finally, as she drank happily from a fresh cup of coffee, Ross got up the nerve to find out what the hell she was doing in _his_ squad room and prancing about as if she owned the place.

Her response to the initial inquiry was to raise her eyebrows and smile indulgently at him, "Captain Ross, I may not own this squad but that doesn't mean that I have no place being here. Just ask any one of your senior detectives. As it is, however, I was asked to come here today to make sure that Bobby doesn't forget his priorities."

Ross eyed her critically, "Who asked you to come?"

Her smile turned sarcastic, "A detective."

"Why?"

"For Bobby, like I just told you."

"What's so great about Goren that you'd come down here in the middle of the day to make sure that he's all right?" The contempt in Ross' voice was evident and Lynne's hackles rose at the sound.

Her voice was overly sweet and calm as she replied, "Captain, never underestimate the importance of Bobby Goren to your squad - or to me. He's a magnificent profiler and detective. Not to mention how much he's done for so many victims over the years." Her eyes bore into his as she continued, "His colleagues realize all of that, even if they still think he's an odd-ball. _That's_ why I'm here."

Without waiting for a response Lynne brushed past Ross and made her way to where Bobby was now standing by his desk.

She looked at Bobby with her head cocked to one side. "Think you can make it up to the bunks on your own?"

He gave her a look that clearly protested his need to sleep but she cut him off before he could argue, "You're no good to her dead on your feet, Bobby. Go get some sleep, I'll make sure someone wakes you up if there's any sort of development."

Even though Bobby didn't want to give in, he felt his body about to give out and nodded. "I have your word on that?"

"Have I ever lied to you, Bobby?"

A head shake was her only answer as he turned around and went to the elevators to ride up to the floor with the bunks.

Lynne nodded as he walked away, knowing that he might not sleep as much as she would like, but he'd at least rest his body for a few hours.

After he was in the elevator and headed up, Lynne smiled wistfully before turning to look at the detectives around her. "No one disturbs him for at least four hours, got it? No one. Short of Eames being found _nothing_ is more important for him right now than sleep."

She turned to make sure her orders were being followed before nodding and moving to head to the elevators. Ross, who had approached during the scene, grabbed her arm before she could get more than a few feet away.

Turning around to face him she calmly asked, "Was there something else, Captain Ross?"

The older man was a bit shocked by her cool, blunt attitude toward him. "What exactly is going on between Eames and Goren?"

Lynne smiled softly, almost bitterly, _Not as much as there should be_, "They've been partners for almost seven years. You figure it out. Now if you'll excuse me, I have two children waiting for me, along with three suits that have to be finished by the end of the week."

Without another word she walked away, leaving Ross and Logan to ponder some more just who she was and what the hell was going on between Goren and Eames.

Lynne just prayed that Alex's relationship with Bobby was made of firmer stuff than her own had been. She'd never seen Bobby as happy as he was when he was openly with his friend, confident, and lover.

Fin

* * *

A/N: Perhaps not the ending you wanted, but the only one I had in me to give. Please accept this humble offering to the alter of fandom.


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